


fraternizing with the enemy

by PhantomFlutist



Series: Fic Request February 2017 [3]
Category: Chinese Actor RPF, EXO (Band)
Genre: Awkward Sexual Situations, M/M, Swearing, discussion of The Lawsuit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-28 04:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10072766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomFlutist/pseuds/PhantomFlutist
Summary: Minseok is a horrible person. But in his defense, he is really, really in love.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anonymous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous/gifts).



> Part of Fic Request February. Anon wanted XiuHan fluff amidst the lawsuit drama with some onesided XiuChen. I hope that it's what you were hoping for! Readers please be warned that if you don't like discussion of the lawsuit you should probably turn back now.

 

Inspecting himself in the mirror, Minseok straightened the beanie on his head and pulled out a tube of chapstick to run over his lips before he put his mask on.  
  
“Um, hyung,” Jongdae said, standing in the doorway and staring at him with unnecessarily wide eyes. “Where are you going?”  
  
“Out.” Minseok shrugged and threw a smile at Jongdae, coy and half over his shoulder. It made Jongdae blush, which was really why he did it. Jongdae’s crush was so obvious.  
  
Jongdae stuttered for several moments before he found the words he was looking for. Minseok would wonder where his on-screen eloquence had gone if he didn’t already know. “Okay but, uh, with who?”  
  
Shrugging again, Minseok responded, “A friend,” and then flounced out the door without a backwards glance.  
  
He was a horrible, horrible person and he knew it. Here his bandmates were, struggling over everything and trying to figure out how they fit together as a band now that three of their number were missing. And Minseok, the oldest, the most mature, the one who should be a role model for the rest of them was…well, he was fraternizing with the “enemy”.  
  
\---  
  
He met Luhan in Hongdae, in the middle of the day when anyone could see them. It didn’t matter. People liked to fancy that Minseok was in the public eye, but he knew a truth that a lot of people couldn’t see: he was more invisible than anyone liked to believe.  
  
There were famous people and then there were _famous people_ , and Minseok was actually perfectly comfortable staying firmly in the former group, the people who were recognized on TV when they were all made up, but who no one gave a second glance when they were bare-faced and wearing street clothes. It was nice to be able to go out for lunch or do a bit of shopping without being mobbed by fangirls.  
  
Luhan drew more attention than Minseok did, and sometimes that was an issue. As they wandered through shops and chatted quietly about mundane, everyday things that had nothing to do with the company or the lawsuit, Minseok did spot a couple of teenage girls following them at a slight distance.  
  
But it didn’t matter. The company wouldn’t drop him; not now, not when there was so much turmoil within the group already. They couldn’t afford another scandal. It was easier to let Minseok do as he liked.  
  
“I’m starving,” Luhan said, even as he was admiring a soft gray sweater in a little clothing shop that Minseok personally thought seemed rather overpriced. Luhan could buy what he wanted, though. He was working a ton in China, making more money than Minseok had made in his entire career. Freedom suited Luhan. “We should get samgyupsal. I miss Korean food.”  
  
Minseok just nodded, slipped his arm around Luhan’s waist where no one would be able to see past the clothing racks, and said, “Whatever you want, Lu-ge.”  
  
Luhan giggled, said, “You know you don’t have to call me that.” The blush high on his cheeks said that he enjoyed it more than he let on, though. It was why Minseok did it.  
  
The only thing Minseok regretted about meeting in such a public place like this was that he couldn’t get away with kissing Luhan. Sometimes he wanted to so badly that he considered dragging Luhan into the nearest bathroom and locking the door behind them. But the fans that were following would know. There was only so much that they could do. For now, he’d settle for getting time with Luhan at all. They could deal with the rest later.  
  
\---  
  
When Minseok got home, much later, Jongdae came sprinting out of one of the bedrooms. He slid across the floor in his socks and nearly collided with a wall in the process. Minseok couldn’t help giggling when Jongdae cried, “Hyung!” in a voice abnormally high with (distress? Excitement? Who even knew.)  
  
“Hey Jongdae,” Minseok said, shucking shoes and mask and hat as he shuffled through the entryway and down the hall.  
  
Jongdae trailed after him like a puppy, right at Minseok’s heels. “Did you eat, hyung? Do you want me to get you something? There are leftovers in the fridge, or we can order out, or—“  
  
“Jongdae,” Minseok interrupted, turning to pat the younger man’s cheek affectionately. “It’s fine; I ate while I was out.”  
  
Jongdae, apparently blissed out by that one gentle touch to his face, blinked sleepily at Minseok and said, “Oh. Come cuddle, then? I haven’t seen the new Marvel movie yet.”  
  
Minseok sighed and pinched Jongdae’s cheek a little, giggling again when he squawked. “Sure,” he agreed. “Let me just clean up and get changed and I’ll join you.”  
  
Jongdae nodded and scampered off to set up the movie, and Minseok couldn’t help a fond smile. Jongdae’s little crush was cute, and if Minseok wasn’t already head-over-heels for Luhan, he might consider indulging him more. As it was, Jongdae hadn’t actually _said anything_ to Minseok about his feelings, and as long as he didn’t Minseok wasn’t going to draw attention to it. They were close friends and Minseok wouldn’t do anything to damage that relationship without just cause.  
  
\---  
  
“Joonmyun-hyung, do we have any schedules tomorrow?” Sehun asked. He was lounging on the sofa, his head hanging backwards off of the arm and his legs slung over Jongin’s lap. They both had game controllers in their hands. Despite his inattention, Sehun seemed to be winning.  
  
Not glancing up from his book, Joonmyun said, “I don’t know, Sehun. Maybe you should go ask one of the managers.”  
  
Sehun shrugged and didn’t get up. Some dramatic exploding noises came from the TV and Jongin dropped his controller on Sehun’s knees, muttering angrily.  
  
Ignoring him, Sehun said again, “Hey hyung.”  
  
Joonmyun sighed very heavily, lifted his head to pin Sehun with the blank stare that he’d perfected for moments like these, and asked, “What is it, Sehun.”  
  
“Any chance we can _not_ have practice tomorrow?” Sehun asked. His tone was cheeky and bordering on disrespectful and Minseok stopped reading Luhan’s text messages in favor of giving his full attention to the fallout that he knew was coming.  
  
“Sehun,” Joonmyun said, his tone biting, “we _have_ to practice, or we’re going to make fools of ourselves onstage.”  
  
“Maybe you are,” Sehun muttered, not quietly enough that Joonmyun couldn’t hear him. “But some of us actually _know_ how to dance.”  
  
Joonmyun’s book closed with a snap. “How dare you,” he growled. There were tears in his eyes. Joonmyun always cried when he was angry. It was part of the reason that the members didn’t respect him as much as they should have. “You fucking entitled brat, you think that just because you don’t have to put in any effort no one else should have to either. That’s not how it works and you know it. We have choreography to learn, dances that have to be _rearranged_ because there are holes now. We’re having practice.”  
  
Minseok prayed silently that Sehun would know when to be cowed, to bow his head to Joonmyun and accept the scolding. But Sehun had always been a little hard-headed, a little spoiled. They indulged him too much.  
  
Jongin tried to catch Sehun’s arm as he stood, but he missed and Sehun tore out of his grip. He stomped across the room to loom over Joonmyun, his face stormy. “It’s not my fucking fault,” he bit out. “I didn’t make them leave.”  
  
Joonmyun stood as well, forcing Sehun back a step. “You think I don’t know that?” he asked.  
  
“If you know, then _stop punishing me!”_ Sehun shouted, his face inches from Joonmyun’s.  
  
A single tear slid down Joonmyun’s cheek, and Minseok decided it was time to step in before things got worse. “It’s no one’s fault,” he murmured, putting conciliatory hands on each of their shoulders and quietly forcing them apart. “Fighting won’t help anything. We need to support each other right now.”  
  
Sehun snorted. He’d crossed his arms tightly over his chest and he was still staring Joonmyun down, daring him to say anything further.  
  
Jongin wrapped his arms around Sehun’s waist, clung on like a barnacle, and started to pull him away. He would cuddle Sehun into submission and make sure he calmed down, which meant that Minseok was left to contend with Joonmyun.  
  
As soon as the younger boys had left the room, Joonmyun flopped back down into his chair and put his face in his hands. “Shit, I’m such a bad leader,” he muttered.  
  
“You’re not,” Minseok said, and rubbed his back until he stopped crying. If anyone should be beating himself up right now, it was Minseok. His phone vibrated several more times with text alerts before going silent, and he ignored it. His band needed him more right then.  
  
\---  
  
There were at least a dozen reasons why sneaking Luhan into his hotel room in China was a Bad Idea, but Minseok didn’t really give a shit. The stress had been high lately and he was exhausted and he really just wanted a couple of hours alone with his boyfriend.  
  
Luhan grinned at him as he slipped through the door and kissed Minseok before his mask was even off. “I missed you,” he murmured in Chinese.  
  
Minseok couldn’t help grinning back, pulling Luhan close with hands on his hips, tugging his mask down to kiss him properly. “I missed you too,” he said, and led Luhan further into the room.  
  
He’d had to pull a few strings to get a room to himself. Joonmyun, the managers, and the other members hadn’t exactly been happy about it, but he was the oldest and he hardly ever asked for anything and he knew that they all thought he was broken up over Luhan’s ‘betrayal’. He’d seen the pitying looks they all shot him after the news came out. A few flashes of wide, sad eyes and he’d gotten them to agree easily.  
  
By the time they got to the bed they were halfway to naked, shirts discarded and pants undone and still kissing desperately. Minseok couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually gotten to _kiss_ Luhan. Shopping dates and sitting across from each other at restaurants was not the same.  
  
The beep of the door latch was all the warning they got before Jongdae’s voice said, “Hey hyung, I hope you don’t mind that I got your room key from Joonmyun, I just wanted—whoa.”  
  
Minseok and Luhan had both frozen, hands still on each other’s bare skin, faces a bare inch apart. Minseok heaved a panting breath and shifted Luhan back a bit on his lap, staring at Jongdae like he’d been caught dealing drugs.  
  
“Um, hey Luhan-hyung,” Jongdae squeaked, his naturally high voice climbing farther. “You’re um, you’re here.”  
  
“Jongdae,” Minseok started, not sure what he was planning to say but aware that he needed to say _something_. He couldn’t exactly just insist, ‘This isn’t what it looks like’ because fuck that, it was exactly what it looked like and Jongdae was _intruding_.  
  
“We’re kind of busy,” Luhan said for him, pointedly looking down at their half-naked bodies.  
  
Jongdae nodded too fast, his head bobbing like one of those stupid dashboard toys, and said, “That you are. Can I watch?”  
  
“ _No_.” Minseok growled at once.  
  
Shrugging and raising his hands in defense, Jongdae said, “Whatever, just asking.” He didn’t leave though, just stood there staring at them.  
  
Minseok finally asked, “Did you need something, Jongdae?”  
  
That seemed to shake Jongdae out of his stupor, and he chirped, “Oh yeah! Yixing’s show is on. Watch it with me and help me figure out what’s going on.”  
  
Luhan slid out of his lap and Minseok sighed, zipping his fly back up and asking, “Why don’t you have Yixing explain?”  
  
“Because the last time I watched with him I kept teasing and now he’s banished me from being in the room with him when it’s on. Come on, hyung, please? Luhan-hyung will be a great translator.”  
  
Normally Minseok wouldn’t give in to Jongdae’s wheedling, but he could see Luhan’s face starting to soften. Luhan had been convinced for so long that the whole group hated him, and seeing one of the members _want_ to spend time with him, whatever the reason, was probably making him happy. Which was the only reason that Minseok sighed heavily, closed his eyes for a moment, and finally agreed, “Fine, we’ll watch with you.”  
  
The bed bounced, and Minseok opened his eyes to find that Jongdae had launched himself onto it and was already settling with his back against the headboard, remote in hand.  
  
Minseok gave Luhan a rueful smile, and Luhan only shrugged back and did up his pants, scooting to the head of the bed to sit next to Jongdae. Feeling weirdly possessive, Minseok inserted himself between them and wrapped an arm around Luhan until he was cradled comfortably against Minseok’s chest. On his other side, Jongdae laid his head on Minseok’s shoulder.  
  
“So they’re playing some sort of game,” Jongdae said, finding the right channel on the TV, “but I have no idea what it is, what the rules are, or how to tell any of the old guys apart.”  
  
Minseok sighed, but Luhan quietly launched into an explanation, and he found that it was kind of nice, cuddling with them, watching a TV show, acting like nothing was wrong. As far as Minseok was concerned, right then nothing existed outside of that hotel room.  
  
And he was totally kicking Jongdae out of his room as soon as the show was over. He’d been promised alone time with Luhan and he intended to get it.  


 


End file.
